Love Will Show You Everything
by Pagetpagets
Summary: When Aaron Hotchner doesn't make the deal, George Foyet hunts him down. They play a vicious game, getting the people that Aaron is closest to, and may even love, involved, including his new girlfriend. In order to protect her, his ex-wife and son, he sends them into witness protection, however, his girlfriend refuses, causing him to worry even more. *My take on s4x26.*
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hello, dear friends. Thank you for embarking with me on this journey once again. I wrote majority of this in Spanish class. Hope you enjoy this first chapter! Please remember to review. It's much appreciated. **_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **_

**Chapter One.**

"Haley… I-" Aaron inhaled deeply, his chest aching as he was unable to find the words he needed.

"I know, Aaron. We'll be alright." She smiled sadly down at her ex-husband, her usual bright and lively eyes now dim and faded. She forced a tiny smile before glancing over in the younger woman's direction behind the window. The corners of her lips began to arch upwards slightly, "Take care of Emily." Although it hurt her to say the words, she needed to know that he would be happy. That he wouldn't always be that uptight, ice cold, unit chief that she had been seeing more of as of lately. She had seen him in his weakest states. To her, he was just Aaron. He had never been Agent Hotchner to her and never would be. She had once made him happy and now she realized that it wasn't her job anymore. It hadn't been for quite some time now. It was time for somebody else to take her place in Aaron's life. It was time for somebody else to bring him happiness. "Don't let her go, Aaron." She brushed her hand against his cheek and nodded, a single tear trickling down her cheek. She wiped it away and took a step away from the hospital bed. "You'll catch him. You always do."

Hotch nodded, feeling his own eyes beginning to water as he met Haley's soft gaze. "Tell Jack I love him."

Haley smiled a watery smile "Everyday." She nodded one last time and swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "I'll see you again soon." With that, she followed the agent out, giving Jack some time alone with his father before Mother and son were sent away in witness protection. A "vacation with mommy" was what Jack was told.

Hotch knew that Foyet would not stop until he made him suffer. He had already caught him alone in his apartment and stabbed him multiple times, putting him in the hospital.

Emily swallowed hard as she watched from the outside of the glass window. She tried to give him space with Jack but she just couldn't take her eyes off from the scene. Jack was now curled up against his daddy, hugging him tightly, unaware of the injuries his father had just suffered. She brushed a stray tear from her eye and watched on, unknowing of the presence that joined her. "He really loves him." Emily jumped slightly and turned on her heel to stand face to face with Hotch's ex-wife. "He cares about you, Emily. "

The brunette smiled a tight smile and nodded, "Well, I care about him," She shrugged, a soft blush tinting her cheeks. Haley smiled at the other woman's blush and turned back to the window as Emily had. "You're good for him." She shrugged, "Emily, I… I don't know how to say this exactly, so I'm just going to say it." She paused and inhaled a soft breath. "You're what he needs. He needs someone to keep him happy, someone he can be himself around, someone he can just be Aaron with." She exhaled the breath she had been holding, not sure how Emily would take it. "He needs you and he needs at least someone to know that he's not always a hardass."

Emily took in a quiet breath and nodded, "I'll keep him in line. Thank you, Haley." Both women smiled as Jack came running out of the hospital room, "Mommy? We go on vacation now?" Emily frowned. Jack didn't know anything of what was happening. And in a way, she wished she could have that bit of innocence back, to know nothing about the world's dangers. Jack's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Hi, Miss Emmy," The young four year old glanced up at Emily shyly and gave a small toothy grin.

Emily couldn't help but smile back. She bent to his level and saluted him playfully. "Ahoy, Captain Jack. Nice to see you again." She had only met her boss' son a handful of times in the past three years of working at the BAU, but both had already seemed to take a liking to each other. "Mommy, Miss Emmy called me cap'in!" Emily heard him exclaim excitedly as the two agents led Haley and Jack down the hospital.

She watched the two leave, her heart breaking for the man in the hospital room. She turned back to the glass window with a sigh and watched the steady rise and fall of his chest under the blankets. She could have lost him. Emily sucked in a shaky breath. Aaron's hospital room was being heavily guarded by two other agents both marking the only entrance to the room under Emily's strict orders. She had made sure there would always be two guards in place at all times, no matter how much Aaron protested. Her relationship was just blooming with her boss and she didn't want to take any other chances. It pained her to see him in so much pain.

"Excuse me, Agent Prentiss?" One of the nurses approached Emily from behind, startling her. Emily turned toward the older woman and nodded, worry beginning to show. "Is everything alright?"

The nurse smile warmly, "Yes, everything is just fine, however, Agent Hotchner is asking for you." At that Emily visibly relaxed. She released the breath that she hadn't even realized she had been holding. She thanked the older woman and swiftly made her way past the guards. Both of the large men stepped aside to let her through. She stopped right in front of the door, her breath hitching in her throat as her eyes roamed over him lying in the bed, taking in his image. His face was paler than she had ever seen before.

"Oh, Aaron…" She couldn't stifle her gasp fast enough for his benefit. She exhaled slowly and closed the distance between her and the hospital bed. It still pained her each time she saw him in the bed. She had been the first one to find him, the one to stay when he didn't wake up right away, and the one to hold his hand through it all. She was even the one to go to his apartment when he didn't answer his phone. From that moment on, she knew something was definitely wrong. Hotch always answered his phone.

As Emily moved to the bed, Hotch shifted into a sitting up position. She could tell it pained him to do so, but that didn't stop him. He didn't want to appear vulnerable and weak in front of her. "Emily…"

The brunette shook her head at his wince that he had tried to hide. "You have to lay down." She bit her lip and slowly eased him back down, careful of all of his injuries. She hadn't seen them yet, but the nurse had filled her in on the extent of them.

"No, Emily… There's, I need to tell you something-" She shook her head as he tried to fight her. His breathing became labored as he struggled against her hand, trying to sit up once again. Emily's dark eyes spotted the PCA pump that would release a single dose of pain meds into his blood steam via the catheter in his arm. He saw the flicker of movement in her eyes and tried to stop her but was too slow. "No, Emily-" She reached for the button and pressed it once, warm eyes meeting his as they began to grow cloudy

"I'm sorry, but you need to rest. I'll be here when you wake up. Tell me then." She gave his hand a squeeze and nodded, watching as he began to relax, his eyes closing slowly and his breathing evening out again. She stroked her fingers through his hair as he drifted off. The older nurse returned into the room and smiled at the doorway, a chair in her grasp. With a gentle smile, she set it down right next to the bed where Emily was currently standing. "He's lucky he has you here." She nodded. "He's going to need all of the help he can get."

Emily gave a small nod of her head, thanking the nurse for the chair. She was exhausted. Not sleeping for three whole days could do that to a person. The older woman watched Emily carefully, "Would you like some coffee? Water, even?" she frowned as she noticed the bags under the brunette's eyes. Patting Emily's arm softly, she left the room for a coffee break.

Emily closed her eyes, trying to think of anything but the attack. They had been dating for a little over three weeks now. The team still had no idea of the fact that their co-worker was dating their boss. The past week or so, Emily had been arguing with Aaron on when they should open up to their team about the relationship. She had wanted to do it sooner, rather than later, knowing that JJ and Garcia wouldn't stop trying to set her up with other men unless they knew. Aaron, on the other hand wanted some time alone to just the two of them. He was so worried about the rules and regulations against fraternization that he went out of his way to create space between the two during work hours. Emily had called him out on it though, and he had stopped avoiding her for the most part.

Two weeks their secret had remained. Now it all felt stupid, such a silly thing to argue over. His life had been at stake for Christ's sake. Emily felt tears sting in her eyes but she willed them away. She wouldn't cry. She was a Prentiss. If there was one thing a Prentiss did not do, it was cry. At least that was what her mother had told her when Emily's father had died when she was just nine years old. She swallowed the lump in her throat and exhaled slowly, trying to rest her eyes for a minute while she waited for the nurse to return with her coffee.

"_You should have made the deal" She followed the voices down the hall and into the kitchen, knowing that it was only a matter of time. "Good bye, Agent Hotchner." She heard a gun go off, rattling her to the bone. What she saw as she came around the corner tore her in half. She choked on a large gasp of oxygen, feeling her throat constrict. "Oh what's this? Aaron, looks like your little whore has come to watch." Foyet grinned widely as he lowered himself to the ground, next to Aaron's body. She quickly looked him over from where she was standing in the door way, realizing that he was still alive. She heard him breathe out her name and finish in a fit of coughing. She tried to run to him, to scream, anything. She couldn't move. She couldn't even speak. She tried to move her feet desperately but couldn't. George Foyet now stood over Aaron's body. He loomed closer to Emily, closing the distance between the two. She could smell the acrid stench of blood and sweat radiating off of him. He finally crossed the room and stood in front of the motionless woman. He smirked wickedly. She felt her stomach flip with nausea as her heart thudded against her rib cage. No words left her throat. She couldn't even think at all. _

"_Ah, Emily, nice of you to join us." His icy voice caused goose bumps to form on her arms, the hairs on her neck stood straight up as she shivered. Her eyes caught sight of something gleaming in Foyet's hand as he raised it. A knife. The point sparkled silver as he raised it to her neck, placing it there as he held her in a vice-like grip. Emily winced as he squeezed her shoulder tightly. "So nice." He hissed, guiding Emily to stand right at Aaron's feet. "Come on, Aaron. Get up and fight me." He kicked at the man's stomach and chuckled darkly at the cry that left Aaron's throat. Emily had never heard anything like it. She struggled against Foyet's grip, a scream bubbling in her throat. "Fight me, Aaron." He snickered, "You have no idea how much fun I'm going to have with this one." He put pressure on Emily's shoulder, making her go still in his hold._

_Hotch slowly pushed himself off of the ground using his hands to brace himself and hold him up. A foot clamped over one of his hands. She heard a crack from one of the bones in his wrist. Whimpering and sobbing filled the silence of the apartment room. Emily didn't even realize it was her that was screaming until Foyet tightened his grip on her. Finally Hotch stood to his full height, swaying slightly from loss of blood. "Let her go. This is between you and me, Foyet. You and me." His breathing was labored and heavy, his eyes wide as he glanced into Emily's own eyes. He knew what he had to do. "Do what you want to me, but leave her out of this." Emily screamed his name and fought against Foyet as she shook her head. _

"_Aaron, please, no!" Foyet released her but not before throwing her against the brick wall. He left her there on the ground, crying in pain, as he and his knife went over to Hotch. He grinned widely and punched him in the stomach, making him double over in pain. He fell to the ground at Foyet's feet and Foyet took this opportunity to torture him as much as possible. He grabbed the knife and sliced a thin line over his chest. He glanced back to see the brunette still on the ground, unconscious. "Oh, Emily, do wake up for this. You don't want to miss this." He raised the knife and examined the glistening scarlet on the very tip of the blade. "Good." He brought the knife down, once, twice, thrice. "I told you, you would suffer, Aaron. I told you. You should have made the deal. Now you'll know." He heard a soft moan come from behind him. Without hesitating, the corners of his lips stretched upward in a large smile. "Welcome back, Agent Prentiss." She felt another wave of nausea as she heard a wheeze with one last stab. It had to be from Aaron. She swallowed hard, trying to stand up. Her head was foggy as was her vision. She finally managed to get off the ground but didn't move another foot. She couldn't. There was no rise and fall from Aaron's chest. He was gone. She was too late. Foyet turned to her with a laugh. She begged him to kill her_.

**A/N: Muhahahaha. Yeah, I'm evil. Don't worry guys, we're not finished here. Join me for chapter 2. It should be up soon! Thank you all for reading, and please remember to review with your thoughts/ideas.**

**-Emily.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews/story alerts for chapter one. They make an author feel great. Please remember to keep reviewing! The more reviews, the faster I'll try to update.**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **_

**Chapter Two.**

Emily's eyes flew wide open, her heart beating out of her chest. She glanced around the hospital room widely, trying to remember everything that had happened. She stared down at the bed beside her and choked down a quiet sob. Everything that she had just seen never really happened. At least most of it didn't. She had no idea what Foyet did or didn't do to Hotch. Where was that damn nurse with the coffee? She pulled her knees up to her chest and shivered, hugging them tightly to herself. Emily wiped the sweat away from her brow and sighed, this time keeping her eyes open. She was way too afraid to close them again, fearing the worst. She couldn't bear to witness what she had just imagined. She was exhausted but she wouldn't sleep. She couldn't.

Her head snapped up at the door as it opened slowly, causing her heart rate to increase once again. Emily released a soft sigh of relief as the realization sank in of the nurse from before walked in carrying two coffees and a bottle of water. The older woman smiled apologetically and crossed the room, the door shutting behind her. "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry." She shook her head at her own clumsiness, knowing that she had scared the younger brunette with her entrance. She handed the bottle of water and one of the two coffee mugs over to Emily and nodded, offering a tiny smile. "You look exhausted… Have you gotten any sleep since you arrived two days ago?" Emily didn't reply, giving the woman the answer to her question. She placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze before pulling up a second chair and placing it across from Emily's. She watched as she sat in silence, just circling her finger around the lid. "I'm Laura, by the way." Both women sat in silence, just listening to the steady drone of the machines and the constant beep of Aaron's heart monitor.

Emily found some comfort in the beep. It meant that he was still alive. That he was going to survive. Finally breaking the silence and pulling Emily from her thoughts, Laura opened up her mouth to speak. "How'd you two meet, if I may ask?" She had caught Emily watching the rise and fall of Hotch's chest and she couldn't help but know. These two seemed to act differently. They didn't just seem like a couple. They were so much more than that.

Emily turned her dark eyes back to the mug in her hands. She began to swirl her finger around the rim of the plastic. Without looking up, Emily spoke for the first time in what felt like hours. "I was in college when he worked security detail for my mother…" She blushed slightly and played with the lid on her now empty coffee cup, "My mother is sort of an ambassador-"

"Ah, I thought you did resemble Ambassador Prentiss a bit." Laura smiled and let Emily continue.

She nodded and inhaled slowly, "My mother-She had these galas basically every week… And somebody had actually just made a death threat against me, which is why she hired him, for my protection, I guess." She shrugged, the corners of her lips beginning to arch upwards in a slight smirk as she began to get lost in the memory. "I didn't know why at the time, but he followed me around, everywhere. Out to the gardens, to the dinner table, even to the ladies room." She chuckled softly, "I had no idea why this man, whom I had never seen before, was following me, not to mention it was a masquerade party. So I finally took action. I led him to the library upstairs and finally spun around and began to fight him."

"In a dress and heels?!" Laura looked completely fascinated. She shook her head from side to side as she laughed. "Wow, so who won? What happened next?"

Emily nodded, opening her mouth to continue, but a different voice continued the story. "I fought back. She threw a book at my head and demanded I tell her why I was following her around all night and who I was." Emily smiled, glancing over in Aaron's direction as he now looked over at the two.

Laura broke into laughter as Emily nodded once more. "It's true. And then he told me that my mother had hired him to stalk me all night-"

"-So she pushed me into the bookcase." Aaron finished for her, a certain twinkle in his eye. "Hurt pretty bad actually, but of course that kind of made me fall for her, I guess." He shrugged. "For the next month or two, we-"

"-Oh, it was longer than that." Emily laughed softly and stared at him. "We hated each other. We were at each other's throats constantly. And then we got locked in the freezer together. Don't ask how that happened, that's a whole other story." She winked at Aaron and smirked, "We started to get a long, I guess, and then three days later, he was reassigned. I didn't see him again until he had a wife and a son."

Laura frowned and looked at the both of them, "But what about now? How did that happen?"

Aaron nodded at Emily for her to tell her and finish the story. His injuries were still aching but it wasn't too bad. The little bouts of chuckling was what had done it. He sent her a reassuring smile and stroked his fingers through her raven hair. "Nearly fifteen years later, I walked into his office at the FBI, requesting a job-"

"I'd say you demanded the job." He smiled tightly, trying not to show his pain. "But I recognized her right as she opened my door. I knew I was in deep shit from then on out." He watched a grin grow on Emily's features as she sank into his hold. "And then somehow we ended up together." He shrugged, kissing the side of her cheek. Laura awed and watched with a large grin.

"That's a great story. I'm glad you both have found each other." She stood up from the chair, "Now, how are you feeling?" She eyed him over, examining him carefully and fixing his pillows.

Emily moved out of Laura's way and studied him with an arched eyebrow. She didn't want him to lie about the extent of his pain because he wanted to appear "strong" or "manly". She made him meet her eyes and he sighed. "It hurts, but with a little medication, I'll be fine." He winced at the sudden movement of his torso, catching the worried look Emily shot him. "Fine, I'm fine." He nodded and exhaled slowly. "I'm good." She chewed her lip and gave his hand a small squeeze.

"Well, it's a good thing that you have this young woman here for you then." Laura nodded towards Emily with a smile, "You better do as she says." She left the room with a small chuckle and closed the door behind her.

For the first time in nearly two days, Aaron looked at the woman at his bedside. He saw the dark circles under her eyes, saw the paleness of her face, the way her hair stuck flat to her head, as if she hadn't showered in the time they had been here. And knowing his partner, she probably hadn't. He shifted very slowly, ignoring the pinches and pulls as he readjusted himself on one side of the mattress. He patted the other side and nodded, "Come here." Hesitating before doing so, Emily's chocolaty brown eyes met his hazel ones and she complied. How could she resist? Aaron wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close into his side. Emily heard him grunt once from the pain but that didn't stop him from pulling her to him. She rested her head against his shoulder and sighed, listening to the rough rumble of his voice, "Em, honey. You need to get some sleep too, you know." He trailed his fingers down her spine and leaned his head against hers. "Get some rest." He glanced into her eyes as he placed a finger under her chin and made her look up at him. He always was able to read her like an open book, as she was able to do the same with him. It didn't even faze him that when he looked in to her usual bright eyes, that there was so much pain, worry, and fright in them. He shook his head and placed his lips against the corner of her lips. "Hey, I'm here. I'm alive. We're going to make it." He nodded, "You're okay, I'm okay." He rubbed her back soothingly and watched as she curled into him, her eyes closing slowly. "Sleep." He whispered against her hair, sighing as she eventually drifted off.

He glanced down at the brown eyed beauty in his arms and frowned. He really liked her a lot. Did he love her? Maybe not quite yet, but he could definitely learn to. He never thought he'd be the one to get a girl like this. She was so different from Haley in so many ways, and although he still loved his ex-wife, and he may not realize it, he was starting to love this other woman, in a completely different way.

As Emily slept at his side, nestled in between the blankets, he felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes. This woman had done as much as she could for him. She had gone out of her way to be there for him in times when he needed it most. She had been there for him through each fight with Haley, before and even after his divorce. She had been the one to force him to take his lunch break, to bring him a sandwich or coffee to keep up his strength, she had reminded him time and time again that there was more to life than just the office. Emily had always been able to read him like an open book. Always somehow knowing when something was bothering him. She never pressured him or rushed him, only told him that he wasn't alone and that she'd be there for him if he ever needed it.

Hotch swallowed as he realized all of this at once. He traced circles on her arm with his fingertips. Here he was, laying in a hospital bed after a close feat with none other than George Foyet. He had come so close to battling his own death, that he didn't even think about anyone other than himself, Haley, and Jack. He glanced down at Emily's sleeping face, watching as she slept in peace. There were no worry lines or scowls that marked her skin, and for the first time, he realized just how beautiful she was. His heart leaped as he worked his jaw. He knew what he had to do in order to keep her safe. And he knew that she wouldn't like it one bit.

The thing that bothered him most was the fact that she'd be all alone. He wouldn't be able to console her or kiss her or touch her or even hold her close. His stomach flipped as he weighed his options. Keep her safe, or keep her mixed in the cross fire. He knew how Foyet played his cards. He'd go after anyone Hotch was close with. With Haley and Jack out of the way, Emily was easy access. He sighed softly, watching her sleeping frame curl against him. She looked so young, so happy, and so beautiful. He didn't even realize he had been crying until a tear landed on his arm. He quickly willed them away and took in a steady breath. "Emily, I'm sorry…" He looked down at her and closed his own eyes, melting into her side. This was going to be hell. He couldn't even picture how she'd react to him telling her. He knew she would try to fight him over the issue, but how far would she go? How far would he?

_**A/N: Well, I figured I owed you a bit of fluff after the first chapter. So hope you enjoyed this one! Stay tuned for chapter three.**_

_**-Emily.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: I'm sorry this one took a bit of time. Something happened with my laptop and now it is having many issues. Thank you to all who have reviewed this story so far or have added it to story alerts. It is very appreciated! Alright, as always, please remember to review.**_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter Three.**

Letting Emily sleep until the next morning, Aaron fell asleep beside her in the tiny bed. He awoke to voices outside the door. "He's my boss. I need to check on him. The agent that was in there with him is not answering her phone." Hotch blinked sleep from his eyes, distinguishing Morgan's voice from the two guards. She heard a third voice chime in. This one was higher and definitely more aggravated. She could practically hear the eye roll in Penelope Garcia's tone.

"Look, FBI. See? Now move." She pulled out Derek's wallet from his back pocket, flipping open the wallet and showing the badge on display. Hotch quickly untangled his limbs from Emily's, shifting over in the bed and creating a large gap between them. He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple before straightening up in the bed and moving to the edge completely. He took in a soft breath, the injuries on his chest becoming a dull ache as he did so. The door opened a moment later and Derek Morgan walked in, followed by a very disgruntled Penelope Garcia. She seemed to brighten up once she caught sight of the other woman in the bed, asleep. "Oh, gumdrop!" She raced to the bedside and smiled down at her friend. "Poor thing. I bet she hasn't even left since she got here." She shook her head, "Probably making herself sick and forgetting to eat again." Derek chuckled softly from behind her.

"Aw, come on, baby girl. Let her sleep. As you said, she's probably exhausted." He looked over at Hotch with a raised eyebrow, somewhat shocked that they had walked in with them in the same bed. "How are you feeling, Hotch?" He gestured toward Emily, his eyes falling on her sleeping frame.

Hotch licked his lips, his throat going parched. "She started to fall asleep in the chair but I forced her onto the bed. Otherwise she'd be waking up with a sore back and stiff neck." He nodded, "She hasn't slept at all, from what I've been awake for. I'm pretty sure this is the first time." He took in a soft breath and lowered his voice for Emily's benefit, "I was going to let her sleep for as long as she needed and then ask her whether she wanted to get some rest at her house as well as grab a quick shower." Garcia nodded her agreement while Derek looked somewhat doubtful. To Hotch's surprise, he bowed his head and changed the subject.

"Nothing new yet on the case." He sighed regretfully, hating to report a whole bunch of nothing. He wanted to find this guy as much as anyone on the team. They just didn't know where to start. "We're still working on tracking him down… I'm sorry, Hotch." He shook his head and focused his attention on the ground, suddenly finding it interesting to look at.

Hotch only nodded. The decision he made last night still fresh in his mind. "Thank you for trying." His voice was pained. Garcia and Morgan could see right through it. Emily shifted in the bed just then. Her eyes opened slightly at the sunlight that streaked in through the window. Her stomach growled loudly as she took in the white, pristine walls of the hospital. Both Derek and Penelope found this hilarious. They threw back their heads in obnoxious laughter, making Emily shrink back into the blankets. Both agents sported matching grins on their faces. Hotch just watched them, somewhat concerned.

"Well, good morning to you too, Princess." Derek winked and patted her shoulder as Penelope tried to withhold the laughter from bubbling up again. Emily silently thanked Hotch with a discreet glance before climbing down from the bed. She stood in front of Hotch and yawned, stretching her arms and back. Hotch had to admit. Judging by the way she looked, he guessed she must have been feeling at least a little bit better. Her hair was still tangled, but at least the bags under her eyes weren't as large or dark. And the usual light in her eyes seemed to be returning.

Penelope smiled sweetly at the brunette and nodded in her direction, "Emgem, do you want me to take you home? You can maybe get some real breakfast and possibly a change of clothes? A warm shower might not be a bad idea either." Emily simply nodded her reply. She glanced back at Hotch, as if debating whether to leave him or not.

He understood her silent question and nodded to her, "Go, get some food, a shower and some more rest. Looks like you could use it more than me." He winked as both Penelope and Morgan looked at Emily. Penelope helped Emily gather her few belongings. They placed the chair in the corner of the room, out of the way of the nurses, and then said their goodbyes before leaving.

The two women walked out together, Emily trailing behind at a slower pace. Silence stretched between them until they reached the parking lot. "So…" She glanced back at Emily, a sly smirk on her lips. "You and Hotch?" She grinned playfully and nudged Emily's shoulder. "Spill." Emily rolled her eyes and sighed in response. "Oh, come on, gumdrop. You've rejected every single man JJ and I have put in front of you. There has to be a reason for that."

"I didn't like any of them." Garcia stopped walking in her tracks and stared at her friend.

"That is bull shit. You didn't even talk to any of them. You practically ran away from us and then ignored your cell completely." The brunette shrugged and climbed into the passenger seat. "Come on, Em. Haven't you ever thought of it? I mean, look at the man. He's HOT!" Garcia laughed. "You can't honestly tell me that you've never checked him out. I see the way he looks at you. JJ sees it, even." She sighed, "We all see it. You both should just get it on already. Go get down with your knight-in-shining-armor."

Emily shook her head, "PG, I don't need a knight-in-shining-whatever." She rolled her eyes as her friend started the car. "I'm fine with the way things are now." She smiled to herself, completely happy with her relationship with Hotch.

Penelope snorted, "Yeah, okay." The subject was dropped for the remainder of the drive. Penelope pulled into Emily's apartment and sighed softly. She shut the car engine off but stayed in the vehicle, pausing for a moment. Looking straight out the windshield, her eyes caught hold of a speck of dirt on the glass, just out of reach of the wipers. "Can you just… answer this?" She inhaled slowly, trying to prepare herself in order to ask. "You didn't leave the hospital at all. Almost three days, you stayed. Just waiting for him to wake up." She shrugged, "Why, exactly?" Garcia's eyes watched the spot of mud, expecting it to move.

Emily swallowed, "I… I care about him. He's my boss, my friend." She shrugged nonchalantly, "We've known each other for years. I just figured somebody had to be there when he woke up." She frowned, "To wake up alone… I know what that's like. Alone and scared and hurt." Penelope stared at her with wide eyes. Her expression was pained as she tried to get a good look at her friend, only able to see the side of her face. Emily's dark, raven hair hid her expression like a curtain around her face, making Garcia gasp painfully.

"Oh, Em. I'm so sorry… I-" She shook her head, "I didn't know."

"No, it's fine." Emily took a sharp intake of breath and nodded, sitting up and brushing her hair away from her eyes. "Come on, let's go inside." She opened her car door and stepped out, following Emily up to the apartment. Emily unlocked her door and walked in, flicking the light on the wall. She walked down the hallway and frowned.

Something about her apartment felt off. She glanced around the room, Garcia looking her over carefully. "Em? You okay?" The brunette continued down the hallway and breathed out through her nose. She nodded after a few moments of hesitating.

"Yeah, yeah…" She glanced at the photos on the walls. Mostly of her and the team. There was one photograph of her and Hotch that was taken recently, within the past few weeks. Garcia followed Emily's line of vision and caught sight of the photo. "He'll be alright." She placed a gentle hand on Emily's shoulder as the brunette nodded once, not saying anything. She walked to her bedroom with a soft sigh. "I'll be out in fifteen. You can make yourself at home." She still couldn't shake the feeling that somebody else had been here while she stayed with Hotch in the hospital. Walking around her bedroom, Emily didn't seem to notice that the single cut out photo that she and Hotch had taken just before Foyet, three days ago, was not lying on her dresser in its usual place.

Stripping off the clothes she had been wearing for two full days, she headed into the joint bathroom and turned on the faucet to the shower. Water sprayed from the shower head, splashing the brunette's hand as she waited for the water to warm up. She turned the handle all the way to the left, increasing the temperature to the hottest it would go. No matter the temperature, she couldn't get rid of the eerie chill she felt. Despite the temperature, she shivered. By the time she turned off the water, the bathroom mirror was all fogged up from the steam. She pulled back the curtain and glanced at the fog, her eyes tracking the movement of one of the water droplets as it raced down the glass. She stepped out of the shower and moved closer to the mirror, making out a letter against the fog. She squinted, catching more, all squished together in wobbly hand writing. She frowned, the hairs on the back of her neck standing straight up as she wrapped the towel around her body. There seemed to be some sort of tiny message written on the mirror. The script was so tiny and clumped together, that the only letters she could actually make out were Y, U, E, and then another E, followed by what looked like either a K or an X, and then a T.

She quickly walked back through the doorway and into her room, grabbing her cellphone and taking a quick picture of the message. She looked at the mirror, just as it was beginning to defog. She could try to get fingerprints from the mirror, but she didn't want to worry her friend waiting for her. Also it was possible that if there were any evidence of fingerprints, that they would be gone by now due to the steam and moist air. For now there was nothing she could do. After getting dressed into a new pair of yoga pants and a white shirt, Emily threw her hair up in a messy bun and walked out into the hallway, smelling the aroma of coffee and something else waft through the apartment. The message pushed to the back of her mind, she made her way to the kitchen, a smile on her face as her stomach growled at the different smells.

Penelope glanced up from the stove as she heard her friend enter. She smiled in response and nodded, "Well, hello there, gorgeous buttercup. Hungry?" She tossed a look over her shoulder at Emily as she plopped down at the counter.

"Famished."

Penelope shook her head as she let out a soft chuckle. "How are you feeling?" She eyed her over, approving her appearance. She looked a lot better than she had this morning. Her face was clean from the large dark circles that had previously decorated her porcelain skin under her chocolate orbs. She glanced into them and nodded her approval as Emily answered her question.

"I'll let you know after I eat. What's for lunch?" She tried to take a quick peek over the blonde's shoulder, but she moved in her way.

"You'll see." She turned back to the food cooking on the stove, making the corners of Emily's lips curve downwards in a soft pout. Finally, after what felt like hours of torture, and in actuality was just five minutes, Garcia served Emily a plate. A grin shot across her face when she saw what was offered. Two plates full of chocolate chip pancakes sat in front of the two women as Garcia joined her.

"Oh, Hell. PG, have I ever told you how much I freakin' love you?" The blonde snorted and handed Emily a fork. She knew how much Emily adored her pancakes. It was a secret recipe her parents had shown her before they died in the car accident. She now only made them for friends when they needed a bit of cheering up, or for herself.

As Emily was on her last pancake, Penelope stood up and covered the plate of leftovers with saran wrap. "Want me to put these in your fridge?" Emily looked up from her plate and licked a smudge of chocolate from her lip.

"Oh, uh… Actually, I was thinking of giving some to the hospital for A-Hotch." She shrugged, "The hospital food is terrible and I know he also loves these babies as well." She shrugged as Garcia nodded her agreement. She double wrapped the plate and nodded, a smile on her lips.

_Oh, come on, Em. Be any more obvious. I dare you! _Garcia wanted to say these thoughts aloud, but she refrained herself for Emily's sake. She knew her friend too well to know that it would only start up an argument, in which Emily would deny her feelings for their boss. It made her giddy inside to know that she could tick the brave, strong, intelligent, Superwoman off. And it was all so easy too.

Back at the hospital, Hotch closed his eyes as his head slumped against the pillow. "You know, I didn't want to say this, but now I think I'm right… Hotch, man, you got feelings for her." Derek watched his boss' eyes close. He was a profiler! He could see that he was now right. He shook his head and sighed, taking the seat that Emily had taken residence to previously. He smoothed a hand down his bald head and looked on with warm, dark eyes.

Hotch swallowed, eventually bringing himself to a very short nod. "I do." He worked his jaw and opened his eyes. "We…" For the first time ever, he allowed somebody other than Emily or Haley to see him in such a weak state. "I don't know what to do, Derek." He used the man's first name, letting him know this was no longer professional. This was personal. "We've been seeing each other for just over three weeks and already I think she's the best thing that has ever happened to me besides Jack." His voice wavered slightly but he adjusted himself with a nod. Derek nodded. If he was surprised by the admittance, he didn't show it. "She's always there for me. I just want to do the same for her."

Derek nodded again and spoke quietly. "Don't let her go, Hotch. Keep her safe." He paused for a few heartbeats. "Does Foyet know?" He tilted his head a little, his eyebrows wrinkling as he slowly began to catch on. If Foyet knew they were together, then he was sure going to go after her. "Hotch, man, you need to protect her." He worked his jaw. "She's been so happy lately, and I'm glad to know that's because of you, but you really need to keep her close while we hunt this son-of-a-bitch down."

Hotch nodded and spoke, his voice growing a bit husky. "I know. Which is why I think I'm going to put her in witness protection too. I can't lose her. I've almost lost her once." Derek nodded as he remembered the exact case he was talking about.

_They heard the thwak that could only be taken as one thing. A body hitting the wall hard. The sound of glass shattering followed and they heard labored, pained breathing come over the static. "I can take it." Hotch swallowed hard as he heard Emily pant over the headset he was listening to. It made his chest tighten at the thought of her bloodied and bruised, laying in a heap on the ground. He almost lost his lunch as hearing her pained cry. Cyrus must have pulled her from the ground because the next thing he heard was another hard thwak as something hit the wall again. For a moment silence rang out over the headset. He feared for the worst, about to throw the headset down and go in, but then it came again. In a tight, soft voice. "I can take it." His heart nearly stopped beating when he heard Cyrus speak followed by a sharp slap across the face. "Oh, you can take it?" _

_His fists tightened as he tried to calm himself. HOW DARE HE LAY A HAND ON A WOMAN? And on EMILY none the less! Dave placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder, speaking softly to him. "She's sending us a message, telling us not to come in." He shook his head as the hand dropped from Aaron's shoulder. "There's nothing we can do right now." _

_Just as Hotch began to settle down, Cyrus' voice came over the headset like a hiss. "Tie her up. Take her upstairs." Hotch swallowed, trying to keep his feelings at bay. She was his agent! Well, not his, his, but she did work for him. He shook his head and took a step away. They had Emily in there and he was expected to do nothing about it!_

Hotch's heart monitor began to beep, his heart rate had sped up and was still increasing due to the memories. His breathing became heavy just as two nurses came racing around the corner and into the room. "Agent Hotchner, you have to calm down." The second nurse nodded and Derek, standing in the corner of the room, "I'm sorry, sir, but at this time, Agent Hotchner can't have any visitors. We'll let you know when you can come back." He left wordlessly, eyes wide in clear worry.

Emily was passed by two nurses sprinting down the hallway. She froze when she realized the tiny female was the nurse that had helped Laura treat Hotch when he first arrived. She handed Garcia the plate of pancakes and followed them, running towards Aaron's room. She heard Penelope's voice calling after her as she turned down the hallway on her left. Something was happening, she could feel it in her bones. She just didn't know what. She came to a standstill just at the door of his room. Glancing in through the glass, all she could see was the male nurse standing beside the bed, while the smaller female one handed him an IV.

"Emily!" She spun around to face Derek Morgan. She raised an eyebrow and shook her head, her eyes widened as she met his. He had to know what happened, he had been here. Emily regretted leaving him.

"Derek, what happened?!" She turned back to the door but Derek grabbed her hand and sighed, rubbing her shoulder in a soothing pattern.

"Em, calm down. His heart rate was just a bit high, that's all. He'll be alright, Princess."

He smiled in that charming manner, making frown lines appear on the brunette's forehead. "That's all?!" She shook her head as he guided her to the waiting room. "Derek, that isn't nothing! A high heart rate is dangerous! Especially in his state." Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked them away.

Derek pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. "He'll be okay." She tried to believe him but wasn't sure if she could. They didn't even have Foyet in custody. They had no idea where he was at the moment. They didn't even have any leads to go on.

Emily exhaled softly and pulled back from his arms. "A normal heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute. Do you know what his was when you left him?" The man shook his head with a sigh. Emily stared into his eyes, catching the knowing glint in them. She chewed her lip and sat down in one of the seats. "You know, don't you?"

It was more of a statement rather than a question. He shrugged slowly and gave a tiny smile as he kneeled in front of her. "Not if you don't want me to." A small smile began to take form on Emily's lips as she looked up at him. "Do you want me to?"

The brunette sighed, the tiny smile now gone. She inhaled softly and worked her jaw with a tiny shrug. "I don't know. I just want him to be alright." Dark pained eyes met Derek's own dark orbs, causing his heart to clench. It pained him to see her so upset.

"Emily, we're taking about Hotch, here. He'll be alright. Have you ever seen the man not bounce back?" He raised an eyebrow at the shake of her head, eyeing her carefully. "He's strong, he-"

"No. I know he is. But that's not what I mean…." She shook her head a second time and held her head in her hands. "What I mean is… This isn't going to be easy for him. He just began to tell me things. He just started to actually open up." She sucked in a soft breath, "I'm just so afraid that he'll recoil and won't want to talk to me anymore." She laughed humorlessly and raised her eyes to meet his again. "It's stupid, sorry." She licked her lips and stood up, "I'm stupid. Thinking that we could handle a relationship and hide it from the team." A tear trickled down her cheek and Derek shook his head, wiping the lone tear away with his thumb.

"Emily, you are not stupid. You care about each other. He cares about you. Hell, you did a good job hiding it. I didn't know until today. And even then, you two are so convincing that we just figured you both would never even go after each other. You two deserve happiness for once. You deserve to have someone in your life who can bring that to you, and if that's Hotch, then that's great. I'm not judging you for it, and neither would the team. We love you both. We're just glad that you two are happy together. Just be careful." He pulled her in for a second hug, just as Laura came out to the waiting room.

She smiled when she saw the two hugging and waited a second after they broke apart before approaching. "Agent Hotchner is doing much better. His heart rate had increased temporarily, but he should be just fine now." She patted Emily's elbow gently and nodded, "He's resting now, but you can go see him if you'd like." She nodded her thanks and shared a look with Derek before he nodded for her to go. Emily slipped into the room and took in a soft breath, pulling the chair back up to the foot of the bed.

A knock was heard shortly after. Before Emily could stand up, Penelope walked in, the plate of pancakes in hand. She crossed the floor with a rhythmic clip clop of her heels and offered the plate to Emily. "You forgot these." She took a glance at Hotch and sighed. "Poor thing." She looked towards Emily and gave her hand a squeeze. "I should go back to work...You'll be okay?" She raised an eyebrow in question and the brunette nodded in the affirmative. "Alright, just let me know if there is anything I can do for you."

With one last look at the unit chief, she turned towards the door and left, leaving Emily alone with Hotch again. "You're the greatest man I have ever been with." She broke the silence and leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees and grabbing ahold of his hands while he slept. "I promise you. I'll stick by your side through all of this. I won't let you leave and rebuild those walls again. Let me in." She closed her eyes and bowed her head, drawing in a short sigh. This man, who risked his life fighting monsters every single day, has stood in front of the World's top wanted and most dangerous criminals ever, and had even been through hell and back, was very much alive. The thought made Emily smile.

He had been watching for some time now. Watching from a distance for days, weeks even. After all, it took time to plan out an attack, and a good one at that. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was his strategy. In fact, he spent hours on endless just observing. He hid in bushes, trying to stake out the best entrance into the building. He had kept a close eye on Aaron Hotchner for days, hiding in bushes, ducking behind cars, and even renting out the apartment building across from his. Oh, he was good at what he did. He had watched daily as the FBI Agent woke up, went through his routine. Everything was always the same, and it bored him, quite honestly. When would this man ever see any excitement? Every morning at exactly 8am, he would leave for work. From there, Foyet would send one of his men to follow Hotchner's car. Sometimes he would get reports of the man going to Starbucks and coming out with one coffee in hand, other times he'd report that the agent went straight to the BAU, skipping the coffee completely.

It wasn't until recently that Foyet started getting reports of Hotch carrying two coffees. But who was the second coffee for? He ordered his men to find a way inside the BAU, but that just seemed impossible. You had to have a card, and they didn't have that much time. Foyet had managed to keep eyes on both Aaron's apartment, as well as the house that his ex-wife lived in with the little G-man. He soon enough learned their daily routine. He realized Hotchner barely had a life outside of his work. There was the occasional bar gathering with the team after a long and difficult case, but other than that, Hotchner went home to prepare for the next day's workload. It was pathetic, really.

And then just when he thought he was ready to attack, he surprised him by bringing a girl home after one of the little bar outings. But it wasn't just any girl. No, he quickly discovered that it was none other than Emily Prentiss, an agent on his team. A beautiful agent on his team. The very first time Hotchner brought her to his apartment, he was only able to see the back of her head. Dark raven hair fell just past her shoulders. Foyet grinned, now he really had something to hold over his head. Not only was she drop dead gorgeous, but she was his agent! He knew the risk of fraternization and wondered just how much Aaron really liked this woman. It had to be a great deal due to the fact that he would risk his job. Within the same night, Foyet sent one of his men to follow this Emily Prentiss home. He got the address of her apartment and by the end of the next day, he had sights of her. Unlike Aaron and Haley, she was much more interesting to watch.

There were no kids to slow her down, only those two obnoxious blondes that visited nearly every single day. He listened in on their phone calls, finding it fascinating that not once did she ever mention Hotchner by name. One of her blonde co-workers insisted to take her out to meet someone at a bar and to "have a little fun", however, Emily had refused, saying she wasn't feeling very well at the moment. Foyet knew she was lying immediately. Just an hour earlier he had witnessed Aaron Hotchner standing at her door, an arrangement of flowers of some type in hand. He nearly gagged at the gesture, watching from a distance as the two brunettes exchanged kisses and hugs.

_Oh, this is just too good. _He snickered as the two adults walked out of the apartment and to their car, unaware of the fact that they were being trailed. They really had no idea about what was going to happen.

_**A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed this one! Hopefully I can sort out my laptop shit and get the next chapter up soon. The last few paragraphs with Foyet are what happened in the past. Next chapter will start off with Hotch and Prentiss again. Please remember to leave a review! Thanks!**_

_**-Emily.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Finally got a new hardrive for my laptop!**_

_**Alright, I've debated on whether I should even continue updating my fics… Barely anybody reviews anymore and it's mentally draining when you spend so much time on something and nobody realizes that. I don't want to be that person, but without reviews, I sort of lose motivation and begin to question myself as an author. It would mean the world to me if you all could review, thanks.**_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter Four.**

Aaron took in a soft breath as he looked away from his girlfriend. An absent look crossed his features and she swallowed. Immediately she could tell that something was on his mind. She had never seen this look on him, it was foreign to her. She exhaled, raising her coffee cup to her lips as the silence stretched on. "I want you to join Haley and Jack in witness protection."

She felt her whole world crash below her. Her eyes looked to him as she froze, mid sip of her coffee. Slowly lowering her mug, she tried to meet his eyes but he only looked away again.

Her brow furrowed in a tight arch as she practically glowered at him. She was more so offended that he would think she wasn't capable of being alone. "What?" If it were possible, Aaron would swear that Emily's dark eyes grew a few shades darker.

He sucked in a short breath and slowly looked up at her. Dark threatening eyes met a dulled hazel and he felt his heart constrict. "I want you to be protected-"

He barely even finished his sentence before she shook her head, slamming her hand down on the chair. "I don't need protection, _Hotch_." He felt his stomach drop at the use of his name. It wasn't even his first name at that. She was seething now and the ache in his chest only grew. It felt like a fire being lit deep inside.

She hadn't meant her voice to be that icy and cold, or maybe she had. She wasn't sure if her actions were unjust or what. Emily inhaled slowly and closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly, "I don't want protection, and I am not going." Her voice was gentler this time. The anger in her eyes had seemed to fade, but only slightly. Aaron opened his mouth to speak and her rage escalated again, not wanting to hear anything he had to say.

"Emily-"

"No, Hotch-" Just to his luck, a nurse entered the room. She carried a tray of pudding and other food he'd be able to digest. Emily watched as the woman maneuvered around the room, completely unaware of the tension. Emily looked down at Hotch again and saw the sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry but I'm not going. I'm not going to leave you here." She whispered once the nurse's back was turned.

Rolling his eyes, he nodded and left it at that. "Okay. I'm sorry, Em." He placed his index finger underneath her chin and forced her gently to look up at him. He would find a way to protect her. As the nurse left the room, closing the door behind her, Hotch ceased Emily's repetitive motions of fluffing his pillows. He carefully grabbed her arm and pulled her down to the bed. He was relieved when she didn't try to pull away, and instead let her body fall to the bed beside him. "I'm sorry, Emily." He looked down and pressed his lips to her hair. He knew he wasn't finished, but he hated seeing her so upset and so worried about him.

She swallowed hard but nodded in reply, "Me too." She rolled her lips in her mouth and then rolled them back out. Her eyes shut and she pressed her face into his neck as she lowered her voice and threw caution to the wind, dropping a few of the walls she had built up over the years. "I really don't want to go…"

His nod was the only reply he gave as he closed his eyes, inhaling her scent. He could smell her shampoo and it made his mouth water. The scent of strawberry filled his nostrils. "I know you don't." He mumbled against her temple, pressing a soft kiss there. He hated himself for what he was planning in his head. The look that had crossed her face when he had mentioned it, nearly broke his heart. How could he possibly make her leave if it hurt him so much? Not only would he not be near her for awhile, but he wouldn't be able to talk to her. She would be lonely in some other state or even country. The thought caused him physical pain and his face contorted in pain.

Emily had caught his grimace and she quickly moved away, untangling herself from him as if she thought that she was the reason for his discomfort. Her eyes widened in worry. He tried to pull her back down to his side, trying to show her it wasn't her, but she wasn't convinced. He sighed softly and watched as the brunette picked up her coffee cup again and downed the rest of it. He brought himself to a sitting up position and grabbed ahold of the tray the nurse had brought in only moments ago.

He could still feel the tension in the room, and as hopefully a peace offering, he eyed the pudding and glanced over at Emily as she sat cross-legged in the chair. "Pudding?" He watched her eye it for a brief moment before shaking her head, "It's chocolate, which I know how you just _love_ chocolate." The corners of his lips raised in a half smirk at the memory of her telling him this fact. Again, she shook her head, not even a smile forming at her lips. Great, he really fucked up. He tried again, this time moving the pudding cup over to her, "Come on, Em. You have to eat something." She raised an eyebrow at that as he sighed. "At least talk to me. Please?"

Hesitating for a long moment before drawing out a long sigh, she shrugged, "I'm sorry. I'm just-" She rolled her eyes as the door opened to the room. Trying to be discrete about it, she eyed the pudding once more, only to have him hand it to her with a smirk.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist it." He glanced up at her, thankful that his words had actually made a tiny smile appear on her lips. He passed her the plastic spoon and nodded, "Em, I-"

The nurse that had entered the room interrupted them briefly. "I'm sorry, I have discharge papers, if you or your wife is willing to sign them?" He glanced from one brunette agent to the other sitting in the chair and smiled warmly.

Emily shook her head, eyeing Aaron and then the doctor, "Uh, sorry, I'm not his wife." She motioned to her boyfriend and shrugged, "They're all yours."

"Alright then." He nodded, "These are for you." The blonde male doctor placed the stack of papers on the bed and scribbled something on one of the pieces of paper in his notebook. He passed Emily as she sat in the chair and handed it to her with a wink. "And this is for you." He left the room, glancing once more at the woman with a wink.

She glanced down at the sheet of paper and broke off in laughter. "Wow.." Shaking her head, she crumpled the piece of paper up and rolled her eyes, throwing it into the closest trashcan.

Hotch watched her, intrigued by her reaction. "What? What was it?" He heard the crumpled up ball hit the rim of the trashcan before tipping over it and going into the can. "Em?" He stared at her as she pursed her lips together.

"He gave me his number." She rolled her eyes a second time and sighed, "Is it me or are doctors idiots?" He laughed at that and shook his head.

"Don't you have a friend who is a Doctor?"

Emily stood up and took some of the files from the pile. "She is a surgeon, that is different." She shrugged, smiling slowly at the puzzlement in his eyes, "Meredith Grey is one of the world's best surgeons. Surgeons are a lot different than doctors or nurses. Jesus, Aaron. One of these days I am going to have you watch my medical dramas with me." He chuckled softly and pulled her down to sit at the edge of the bed. He kissed her temple and rested his forehead against hers. "Come on, I'll help you with these." She skimmed through a file and wrinkled her nose at the terminology. It was a good thing she had seen quite a lot of episodes, or seasons, rather, of different medical shows.

She spotted the plate of pancakes sitting on the table and brought them over, placing them in between them on the bed. She climbed back up to the edge of it and sat cross legged, offering him the food. "Garcia made them." She shrugged, a tiny smile pulling at the corner of her lips, "They're pretty good."

He threw his head back in a laugh and shook his head, the motion causing him to cringe in pain, but the twinkle in his eyes never dulled. "Emily, they're made by Penelope, and not to mention, they're chocolate, when are they ever _not _good?" He shook his head in amusement as a soft pout crossed her face. "Come here." He moved the plate of pancakes and then hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her into him, where he kissed another gentle kiss to her nose. She tried to keep up her pout but it faded in a fit of giggles as his lips trailed down her neck. "I'm only teasing you."

Smacking his hands away, she squealed, "Aaron! Stop it!" She slapped at his arm and kissed his cheek, pulling away for a brief moment and chewing her lip as she turned serious again. "Hey, where are you planning on staying?" She lifted her eyes to meet his and swallowed. His apartment had been treated as a crime scene, with the CSU coming in and out of the building multiple times over the past week. She had no idea what state the apartment was in now, but had been informed by Penelope that the blood stains in the carpet could not be cleaned. The carpet was scheduled to be ripped up within the next few days.

She was happy that he was being released from the hospital, but at the same time, she was worried about his decision on place to stay. Truth be told, she hated hospitals. And the fact that all she had to look at was the pure white walls with absolutely no color made her sick. Not to mention, the terrible coffee and food the hospital served to the patients and guests.

Aaron shrugged and gave Emily a quick glance over, "I don't know… maybe a hotel?"

Dark eyes shifted up to his hazel ones. She instantly shut that idea down, "You can't be serious, Aaron." She shook her head, having nothing of it, "There is no way I am letting you pay over one-hundred dollars a night for God only knows how long." She sighed and grabbed a hold of his head, hesitating for a quick moment. "Stay with me." She shrugged, staring him down to let him know she was being serious. Emily groaned as his eyes widened in shock, "Oh, come on, Aaron. You would practically force me to stay with you. So what's wrong with you staying with me in my apartment for a bit? I have room and I'd be able to help. Plus, would you really pay that much when you can get free meals?" She raised an eyebrow as if daring him to challenge her. "Stay with me, Aaron."

He nodded, eventually giving in to her demands. "Alright, but I am helping with cleaning and whatever else-" Emily cut him off with a kiss to his lips and pulled back just before Aaron could deepen the kiss. He broke off with a soft groan, unsatisfied with the kiss ending too quickly. "Okay, I will stay with you." He nodded and kissed the tip of her nose.

_**A/N: Again, please remember to review. They really help out a lot with the story. And guys, really, they only take thirty seconds, quite honestly. Well, we'll see what happens. If I decide not to continue, I'm sorry. **_

_**-Emily.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: **_**Okay, so I have decided to continue on. I do love this story too much to let it die. So, thank you to all those who have reviewed. I appreciate it drastically!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter Five.**

Once out of the hospital, Emily wheeled him out to her car in a wheelchair. She still didn't trust him to walk on his own yet. In fact, she wouldn't trust him to be on his own for a while now. She exhaled softly, opening the car door for him. Looking at him now, she remembered the time when she had gotten hit on the head with a piece of wood and emerged from the house, blood trailing down her temple and dribbling onto the salmon pink shirt she wore.

_She sat at the back of the ambulance, JJ chastising her for getting hurt yet again. "Emily, I can't believe you… Jesus, are you alright?" She shook her head, her blonde hair swinging in a ponytail behind her head. "Uh, oh…" She turned around, catching sight of their unit chief as he made his way across the street and over to the vehicle. "Looks like somebody wants to talk to you…" She smirked, turning back to Emily. "He doesn't look happy." JJ patted Emily's shoulders and sighed, whispering her friend a soft good luck before turning away and leaving her friend at the back of the ambulance. JJ passed Hotch with a nudge and raised an eyebrow. "Don't be too hard on her. I did speak to her already." _

_By the time Hotch had approached Emily, she was staring at the pavement beneath her feet. She slowly raised her eyes to him, opening her mouth to speak, but he had beat her to it. "Prentiss." He swallowed hard and crouched in front of her. "How are you feeling?" She was taken aback by his concern and she shrugged. _

"_Like I've been hit by a two by four block of wood." Her voice was dry as she slowly met his eyes, as she joked, trying to lighten the mood. He didn't laugh. _

"_Emily, I could have lost you today." He worked his jaw, and swallowed, his eyes darkening. "Don't ever do that again." He shook his head and glared at her, chastising her like a child. Her stomach rolled as those piercing eyes stared right through her. His wrath was much worse than JJ's. She knew she had tried to be gentle with her, but this was her boss, her friend, and more. _

_Just as he opened his mouth to speak again, one of the paramedics cut in, to Emily's relief. She rolled her eyes at the bickering brunettes. "Can you two please do this later?" The blonde paramedic grabbed one of the towels and handed it to him. "If you want to help, you can start with this while I get her bandage ready." He glanced at the towel in hand to the paramedic and then back to Emily, his eyes softening the more he looked at her. Hotch sighed softly and gently brushing her hair behind her ear, he nodded and slowly leaned in, pressing the fluffy towel against her temple to try to wipe the blood away. "Tell me if it hurts." His voice was soothing and gentle now, Emily imagined his tone sounding similar to what he sounded like when talking with his son. She took in a soft breath and eyed him, feeling her chest tighten at the new warmth in his eyes. _

_She nodded slowly, biting her lip in pain as he softened his dabbing. He watched the paramedic walk to the front of the ambulance vehicle. "I'm sorry I yelled at you." He ceased his dabbing, seeing that her face was now as clean as it would get. "Please promise me that you will be more careful, Emily." _

"_I will be." He moved aside, lifting her chin up gently and forcing her to meet his eyes, "I'm serious, Emily." She nodded slowly, her breath getting caught in her throat. "Promise me, Emily." He swallowed thickly, his eyes never leaving hers. _

"_I promise."_

It took Aaron a few tries to get Emily to resurface back to reality. She seemed to be lost in a memory of some sort, and he had to admit, the way her eyes got that far away glassy look in them made him smile. He almost felt guilty about disturbing her. "Emily?" Her head snapped up at the use of her name, and she eyed him. "Let's go home." He nodded slowly, raising an eyebrow. "You okay?"

She nodded, a tiny smile parting her lips as she started the car and pulled out of the hospital's parking lot. "I'm good." She drove them both to her apartment, where he would be staying for the next… well, she wasn't sure how long it would be, but she didn't mind. And neither did he for the most part. "The team…" A frown formed on her lips as she took her eyes off the road to gaze at the side of his face. "I think they know, or at least some of them know." Chewing her lip raw, Aaron nodded.

"Hey, I figured they might." He leaned over carefully and kissed her temple as they approached a red light. "It'll be alright. I know we said we would tell them when we were ready, and we will. I'll talk to them about it." He released a soft breath as she dropped her eyes back to the road. Knowing she wasn't totally convinced by this, he took her free hand in his, gave it a squeeze and then brought her knuckles to his lips. "Emily, it will be okay." Her nod was his answer.

The next few days passed slowly with Emily trying to take care of Hotch as much as he would allow. Although she adored him and enjoyed having the chance to take care of the man she had grown closer to over the past few months, she had to admit that he was as stubborn as all hell. Aaron Hotchner had never been an easy man. Emily knew that. When he made up his mind, he seemed to dig his heels in and stick with that decision. He barely ever let anybody in, and when he did, he kept them at an arms length apart. It surprised her that she had even come this close with him.

Of course he had tried to help her as much as possible, Emily couldn't get mad at him for it. In fact, she would appreciate it greatly, if it weren't for his current condition with his injuries. Due to him overworking himself, Emily had forced him to stay put on the couch for the day, not wanting him to further his injuries even more so. Hotch on the other hand, wished he could just go back to work. He wanted to know that Foyet was being taken care of and being hunted down. It wasn't that he didn't trust his team, he did, he just wanted to be the one to do it. He wanted to send the bastard to his grave, wanted to make him suffer the way he had, and most importantly, he wanted to stop worrying over his ex-wife's, Jack's, and Emily's safety. He sighed softly, watching Emily busy herself with cleaning up the kitchen from dinner. He swallowed hard as he watched her from the couch, watched the way her hair framed her thin face, the way her brow creased when she scrubbed at a stain on the counter, the way she seemed to smile while doing the dishes. He had offered to help her, but she had refused, telling him multiple times that she had it covered.

His mind shifted to the second time he had asked her about witness protection, just that previous day. It hadn't ended well for both of them. He had only ended up pissing her off royally, accomplishing nothing in doing so.

"_Em…" He worked his jaw, eyeing her back carefully, watching as she turned on her heel to meet his eyes. He slowly sat himself up, and pushed off of the couch, ignoring his pain. It wasn't as sharp as it had been, as the wounds were now scarring over, however, there was a tiny pinch in his chest every time he moved a certain way. "I…" He worked his jaw as her eyes met his across the kitchen. He closed them for a brief moment and nodded, "I know we've talked about this but-" He paused as her eyes left his and she glanced downwards, as if knowing what was coming._

"_Aaron-"_

_He shook his head and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Emily, honey, please hear me out." She shook her head and turned her back on him. She finished the dish she was scrubbing and then glanced at him. "Emily, please, I know you don't want to but-" She cut him off with a sharp look, grabbing her keys from the counter and gathering her jacket before leaving the apartment. He sighed softly, sinking back to the couch at the sound of the door slamming behind her. "God dammit!" He pinched the bridge of his nose and mentally kicked himself for not being able to say what he wanted. He wanted to be honest with her, tell her how scared he was of losing her, how worried he was. He had fucked up royally this time. If only he could tell her what had made him bring up the issue again._

When she had finally come home in the middle of the night, her knuckles were bleeding, as her upper lip was split. One look at her and he began to panic, noticing that she had dried blood smeared underneath her nose. "Oh, Emily." She stiffened in the doorway, not even realizing he was awake. She checked her phone and sighed softly. Nearly 3am and he had been waiting up for her. The guilt rushed to her face and she choked softly, her whole body giving a slight jolt as she caved in on herself. He rushed to her side, ignoring the ache he felt as his stitches pulled, disagreeing with his quick movements. "Emily. Oh my god." Her bag dropped from her hand as he held her in his open arms, letting her use his body to hold her up. He rubbed her back and held her as her whole body convulsed in sobs. "Shhh, you're okay." He held her close and helped her to the couch, not even caring if his stitches pulled out of place. Emily was more important to him. "Alright, lay down. I'll get you some water." He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple and made his way into the kitchen.

What could have possibly happened to her? She looked as if she had gotten into a fight with somebody. Glancing her over, he filled up a glass of water and handed it, and a few washcloths to the brunette, as he sat down on the coffee table in front of her. She didn't appear to be hurt anywhere else, which was a good thing. He helped her clean herself up, meanwhile, her sobs and shaking ceased. "Em, honey, you have to tell me what happened." He brushed his fingers through her knotted hair and sighed.

To his surprise, she flushed. If he wasn't worried about her wellbeing at the moment, he would have smiled and called her adorable, but now she had him on the verge of having a panic attack. He saw her swallow and then a slow nod as she began, her eyes never meeting his. "I… I got into a fight at the bar. It was stupid, really." She blushed a soft shade of pink and shrugged, "I punched a guy and then he came after me…" Aaron's eyes widened in shock. She punched someone? That definitely did not sound like his Emily. Hell, he knew exactly what she was capable of, but she wouldn't just do it randomly. There had to be a reason. As if reading his mind, she nodded and continued her little tale. "He was trying to bring this girl home. He was seducing her and harassing her. I wasn't in the right mindset, and I told him to stop, he didn't, and then I punched him, making him go after me." She shrugged, mumbling softly, "I'm fine, I just…"

He nodded, understanding, "Em, I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you." He exhaled slowly, "You remember the other day when you came home from the store and I just wasn't in a great mood?" She lifted her head up and nodded, half confused. "Well, it was because just before you returned… Foyet called." She let out a gasp, her eyes immediately turning to him, but this time he was the one not making eye contact. "He called from an untraceable number. Emily, he knows things. He can probably hear us now, in fact, I-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" She stood up from the couch, piercing dark eyes staring straight into his. "Aaron." She shook her head, her eyes hard but her tone was soft. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

He shook his head and held his head in his hands for a few moments. "I didn't want to worry or trouble you. You already have enough to-"

"Bullshit."

"What?"

"That's bullshit, Aaron, and you know it." She sighed softly and closed the distance between them, basically standing over him now. "Aaron, I am on this team. I may be your girlfriend, but I am still a part of this team. I deserve to know. We all are working this case. You can't just choose not to share information with one or two people on this team."

He swallowed thickly and lowered his gaze. "Emily, I'm sorry." Hazel eyes finally met brown for the first time in a while and she folded her arms over her chest in a defensive stance.

"Alright, what did he say?"

"Who?"

"Foyet. What did he say, Aaron?" She raised a manicured eyebrow in his direction and eyed him carefully, "What did he tell you?"

He worked his jaw and studied the ground, suddenly finding it much more interesting. He was FBI, believed to be fearless, but when Emily stared down at him like that, it made him feel ten again. It made him feel vulnerable, as if his father had resurfaced from the dead and would come yell at him and beat him just as he used to do when Aaron was that age. Noticing his reaction, Emily took a few steps back, her eyes softening and the darkness that had filled them a second ago was instantly filling with love and tenderness. He nodded and chose his words carefully. "He told me that he could see you, that he had sights on you, that he wouldn't stop. And that I should have made the deal." He shook his head, his vision growing cloudy. "I'm sorry, Emily. I should have told you. I-"

She shushed him with a kiss, pulling him tight against her chest. "We've established this already." She mumbled against his lips, sighing softly. She broke the kiss off way too early for his liking and he exhaled slowly as she began to pull back again. "Aaron, it'll be okay. I'm here, I have you and the team to protect me if need be." She shrugged slowly, "He may have figured out that we're in a relationship, but everything is going to be alright. We'll get him." She bit her lip to prevent from saying anything else. All that she had been able to think about for the past few days was the message written on the bathroom mirror. It still shook her to the core when she thought about it.

He nodded and looked up at her with hazel eyes, "Emily-" At that exact moment, both cellphones began to ring. He straightened up and eyed her, tilting her jaw up to examine her split lip for just a few seconds. He kissed the side of her mouth before reaching for his phone, as she did the same, in sync with him. They both answered, listened as both JJ and Dave filled them in.

"Sorry for the late hour. We have word on Foyet. He just called." Aaron's blood went cold, his eyes widened as he looked over at the brunette as she was told the same news. He saw her swallow hard and then glanced back in his direction, checking his reaction and reaching toward him. She swallowed hard and took in a deep breath. "We need you and Hotch to come in right now for a conference." Before Dave could finish, both brunettes were already gathering their belongings and heading towards the door. She heard a heavy sigh from her unit chief once hanging up the phone.

Neither one spoke until Aaron was pulling into the BAU parking lot. "Hotch."

He shook his head, turning to her with eyes darker than she's ever seen them before. He swallowed hard and took her hand as she offered it to him, gripping onto it tightly, giving it a squeeze. "Whatever happens-" She shook her head, not wanting him to continue, "Emily, listen, whatever happens, I want you to know that I-" His voice broke in his throat, unable to get the words out. "Emily, I-" He raised his eyes to meet hers as she gently placed an index finger underneath his jaw and forced him to look at her.

"I know, Aaron. I know." She released a breath and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Come on, we should go in now." He followed her out of the car and up to the bull pen. They were greeted by JJ, Reid, Morgan, and Dave.

The four other agents all seemed to keep a discrete eye trained on their boss. Emily refrained from making eye contact with him, knowing he didn't need to be constantly watched and observed as if he were some exhibit in a zoo. JJ began the conference, keeping her tone low. "We were able to trace his call, but not for long. However, Garcia was able to locate his whereabouts. The bad news is…" She looked to Emily, saw her chew her lip and nodded, slowly taking that as the notion to continue. "The call came from right outside Emily's apartment." She waited as all pairs of eyes shifted to their brunette agent, even Hotch, whose eyes seemed to rest on her face for a brief moment, taking her in. Emily swallowed hard and took in a soft breath JJ nodded, sighing softly. With an even tone, she spoke. "He mentioned he left you a message, Em?"

Hotch stared at his girlfriend, his eyes widening as he watched her swallow a lump in her throat, trying to remain calm. Emily could feel the blood draining from her face, adding to the effect of her already Snow White appearance. As everybody seemed to study and question Emily, JJ watched the man who sat across from her, Hotch. She saw his fists tighten in rage as his eyes narrowed. The crease in his eyebrows only increased with each passing moment.

The whole team immediately exploded with questions for Emily, refusing to give her space. Hotch growled lowly in his throat, glaring hard at the brunette. Hotch, unable to stand it any longer, stood up from his seat, shocking everyone into going silent, and stormed out of the conference room. They turned back to Emily, but before another question could be fired off, Emily was out of her seat and rushing out the door behind Hotch. She looked around the bull pen, catching him just as he was about to walk up the catwalk and head to his office.

Swallowing hard, Emily reached for his arm. He froze, his foot pausing just on the first stair. "Hotch," She felt his arm tense in her hand. Just as she was about to speak, he pulled out of her grip. _Ouch, that hurt._

**A/N: Sorry, but I think I'm going to leave it at that. It just feels weird if I continue any further right now. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up soon. **

**Please remember to leave a review, thank you!**

**-Emily**


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Email notifications are crapping out on me… Anybody else? Well, as always, thank you to all those who have reviewed and followed so far. I did get inspiration for one of these scenes from a certain movie… Bonus points to whoever knows it. **_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter Six.**

_**Recap:**__ Swallowing hard, Emily reached for his arm. He froze, his foot pausing just on the first stair. "Hotch," She felt his arm tense in her hand. Just as she was about to speak, he pulled out of her grip. Ouch, that hurt._

To her, somewhat relief, he didn't leave. "I don't want to hear it, Prentiss." His tone was clipped and harsh. Emily froze, her hand gently falling back by her side. Well, that hurt too. He turned around to face her, his eyes darkening. "You lied to me, Emily." She shook her head, opening her mouth to speak but he stopped her, not giving two shits about what she had to say. "What did the message even say? Were you planning on telling me? Telling anybody, for that matter?!" Emily stared incredulously at him. She bit her tongue, trying to hold back from screaming and lashing out at him.

He had called her Emily, she realized. This was no longer professional. "Are you fucking kidding me? How is this even any different from when you didn't tell us shit about the phone call!" Her eyes were dark with emotions swimming in them. "You don't get to tell me that I lied, Aaron." He watched her eyes narrow, and in response, he took a step closer to her. She straightened her posture and puffed out her chest, feeling somewhat threatened by him. Her arms crossed over her chest and she let out a growl. "I'm not going into witness protection, Hotch." Her tone was sharp and brisk.

Penelope must have heard the yelling from her lair, that she peeked her head out through the door, eyeing the bickering couple as JJ, leaned her own head out of the conference room, followed by Dave, Morgan, and eventually Reid. "Are they seriously arguing over witness protection, again?" JJ sighed, her eyebrows knitting together. "Neither one of them is going to give in to the other." They all nodded their agreement as Emily glared up at Hotch, her anger spiking.

"Just tell me what the message was, Emily." His tone matched hers, harsh and clipped. His eyes hardened at the sound of a cell phone ringing, taking him a few moments to realize it was his own phone. Answering it with the same irritated and clipped tone, he glared across at Emily. "Hotchner."

"Ah, Aaron, glad to hear from you."

"Foyet." Emily swallowed hard as she heard the hiss in Aaron's voice, her anger slowly forgotten. Garcia went to work at her computer, tracking Foyet down. "I wondered when I would be hearing from you." The older agent turned to the team and worked his jaw as Foyet's laughter crackled over the line.

"Don't worry, Aaron. We will see each other again very soon. Oh, did Agent Prentiss like my message? I wrote it just for her, she's next." The line clicked off before Hotch was able to say anything more. He turned back to the brunette and stared at her, opening his mouth to speak.

"No."

"Emily." He squeezed his eyes shut and scrubbed a hand down his face. "Please, Emily. I need you to go into Witness protection. You're not safe." She rolled her eyes at him, making him shift his weight from foot to foot, his arms folding over his chest as she eyed him carefully.

She exhaled, shaking her head. "Aaron, I'll be fine-"

"No you won't." His anger spiked, "Emily, I need you to do this for me." His eyes were pleading, begging her to just do as he said. "I'm asking you to go into witness protection-"

"While I, what? Watch hopelessly from the sidelines, no way, Aaron, I don't think so." She placed her hands on her hips as he eyed her over, while the team watched on worriedly. He avoided her gaze with just a twist of his head, unable to look at her. "I'm telling you not a chance. You're my boyfriend, I'm an agent on this team; I'm with you." She hesitantly reached up to cup his face, turning his head just slightly so he was looking into her dark eyes.

He took her wrist in his bigger hand and swallowed hard, gritting his jaw as he turned away, "Emily, I have to do this."

At that response, she raised an eyebrow and pulled her arm from his, mirroring his previous stance by folding her arms over her chest. "What is this to you, playtime?!"

"No!"

"Then what, Aaron?! What is it?!" She stared him down, not even willing to back down. She knew she was close to having him crack. She could see it on his face. The way his eyes were becoming more pained, the way his frown lines sunk deeper into his face.

"I'm not-" He stopped, swallowing the lump that was constantly forming in his throat. His chest ached, whether it was from the wounds or from her, he wasn't sure.

She pressed just a little bit further, "You're not what?!"

He exploded. "Strong enough!"

She laughed at that, shocking the whole team, even Hotch as he looked at her with darkening eyes. Oh the pain that swam in them. Emily hated seeing it but at that moment, she needed to break him down. She was so close. "And this will make you stronger?"

He growled, "Yes! No, I-"

"Is this what this is for you?! Some big workout? To prove that you can do anything?! Oh, I'm Agent Hotchner and I'm so strong that I can kill a b-" She mocked him and he roared thunderously, scaring everybody in the room, even the brunette agent infront of him.

He stepped closer, almost viciously, and placed his hands on her shoulders. He shook her slightly, his voice rising to a new volume, "I can't lose you again!" He looked down at the ground, his eyes softening as he pleaded to her. Gasps could be heard from around the bull pen but both brunettes were only focused on the other. "I can't. Not again. I love you too much." He breathed out heavily and started to turn away as he caught her reaction from the top of his eyelids. She was just standing there, shocked. Her mouth hung ajar and he heard her take in a lungful of oxygen. Before he had turned completely around, her arms had somehow snaked around his neck and pulled him back to her, where her lips met his in a passionate kiss. He sighed against her lips, waiting for that dreaded moment when the kiss broke off.

"Hey," She smiled slowly, "I love you too. And if we work together, you won't have to." She reminded him gently, all traces of anger removed from her tone. Aaron worked his jaw, her arms still wrapped around his neck as his thumbs traced circles along her waist.

"I don't know what will happen, Emily." He took in a soft breath and eyed Emily as she shook her head, resting her forehead against his.

"We're FBI, Aaron. We'll be okay." She eyed him carefully, not sure if she believed that herself. His hand slipped into hers and he rubbed her palm gently.

He watched her for a few moments and turned them to the team, realizing that all of them were still standing there, all with smiles on their faces. He eyed her gently and took in a soft breath, placing a hand on the small of her back. "Let's all go get some sleep." He nodded gently and lead her back to the team, fixing his eyes on the team members. "I know it's late now, but you can all get a few hours of sleep before returning earlier in the morning." He eyed each and every member, watching as they rushed up one by one to congratulate him and Emily on their relationship. He saw the gentle smile spread across Emily's lips, watching as it tugged at the corners.

Once the rest of the team disbanded, he nudged Emily's shoulder and watched her stifle a yawn, "Come on, let's get some sleep." He took her home to her apartment, making sure every single window and door was locked, and silently thanking her that she had installed deadbolts on her front door. He glanced at his watch and sighed, only 4:30am. If they got to sleep now, they could get at least five and a half hours of sleep. Even though tomorrow was technically one of their days off, everybody refused to take it, and instead focused on catching Foyet.

Aaron followed his girlfriend to the bedroom and sighed as he pulled off his pants, leaving him in only a t-shirt and boxers. He still hadn't allowed Emily to see the scars, afraid that she would leave him as soon as she saw them. He was afraid that she would see him as the broken, single father that he was. He slipped into bed next to her, her eyes already closed as she had fallen asleep the second her head hit the pillow. He pulled her close, and took in a soft breath, following behind her in sleep.

**A/N: This one is a bit of a shorter one, oops. But two updates in one day, that's pretty good, eh? Next chapter should be up soon. **

**Please remember to leave a review, thank you!**

**-Emily**


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: As Always, a huge thank you to those who review. This story wouldn't be here without all of you. **_

_**WARNING: The next chapter may be triggersome, so I advise you not to read unless you're absolutely sure. Death and bits of rape included**__**.**_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter Seven**

The following morning was cumbersome. All agents of the BAU were sleep deprived to a whole new level, but they didn't let that stop them. Choking down her second cup of coffee, Emily sighed as she and Reid attempted to piece together the message she had received from George Foyet. They wrote each of the letters and black spaces down on pieces of papers, rearranging them to try and make something with what they had. It was hard when a few of the letters were missing. They had tried street names, grid coordinates, names of people, a password even, but nothing turned up any results.

Emily eyed the letters and spaces and shook her head, "We're going about it wrong. Perhaps it's easier than we thought." She placed them in the correct order that was displayed on her mirror and chewed her lip. "Now we just need to figure out what the spaces represent-"

"You're next."

Emily frowned, her eyebrows scrunching in confusion, "What?" She eyed the young agent as he scribbled in the missing letters with a pencil.

Looking up from the letters, he eyed Emily nervously. Was this a threat? "You're next." He shrugged, "It's what fits, right?" He swallowed, "Emily, this is a threat…" He saw the flash of pain in her eyes and letting out a sigh, he nodded slowly. "Hotch!" He called in the older man and waited for him to emerge from his office. For over half the day, nobody had seen him as he seemed to hide up in his office. Not even Emily wanted to disturb him at the moment. She knew he needed his time, and she would give it to him. Within moments, the unit chief was powerwalking down the catwalk, far too superior to run inside of a building. He took the stairs two at a time, and within another minute, he was standing on Reid's other side, looking over the message they had just put together.

He swallowed hard, his eyes landing on his female agent for a long moment before he nodded curtly, "Prentiss, my office please?" He turned on his heel and left the two agents as he returned to his office to wait for Prentiss. She watched him leave, turning to look at Reid as he turned to her with worried eyes.

"Good luck." Emily smiled a very thin smile as she silently thanked him with a tiny nod. Groaning softly, she stood from her chair and crossed the bull pen, all eyes turning towards her. The brunette kept her head up, avoiding all of her friends' eyes as she made her way up the catwalk to Hotch's office. She knocked quietly on his door and waited for him to allow her entrance.

After hearing his voice come from the other side of the door, she entered slowly, her eyes meeting his immediately. She exhaled quietly as he worked his jaw. "Prentiss… This is now a threat." He shook his head, "I've set up two officers to patrol your building at all times." He heard her groan and he sighed, "I'm sorry." He cleared his throat and scrubbed a hand down his face. "We will make sure you're always safe."

She nodded with a gentle roll of her eyes. "I understood, sir." She hated that her freedom was being taken away and now her every movement was being watched and analyzed.

"Emily…"

She stared at Hotch for a moment before making a move to leave his office. His voice stopped her in her tracks, her hand just reaching out for the doorknob. It fell to her side. She turned back to him slowly, dark eyes searching his features. "Yes?"

He exhaled slowly and glanced down at the floor for a moment, his eyes tracing over the scratches in the tile. After what felt like hours, he finally lifted his head to her level and he took in a shaky breath. "I'm sorry." He swallowed the large lump in his throat and looked away again.

Something in Emily seemed to snap. She knew this was it; his breaking point. Shutting the blinds quickly and locking the door behind her back, she moved closer to him. "Aaron, no-"

He shook his head, unable to look at her, unable to look at her beautiful face or meet her eyes that were so many shades of dark. "Emily, I can't lose you. It's because of me that you're involved now." He swallowed thickly and Emily could see just how much pain he was in, yet trying to keep his composure, and all for her.

"That's not true, Aaron. I'm involved because this is my job. I signed up for this. We all did." She watched him shake his head, still refusing to look at her face. She crossed the room with a soft sigh, "Aaron, please look at me." She slid a gentle finger underneath his chin and forced him to look at her. "Hey." She smiled weakly, trying her best to make it convincing. "I love you." She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug as she leaned in close and pressed her lips to his temple. "Please don't blame yourself, Aaron." She shook her head, "The minute you do, he wins." She scrubbed her hand through his hair and sighed as he leaned into her touch. She grabbed ahold of both of his hands in her smaller ones, and nodded.

"You and I… we're going to survive this, Aaron." She kissed the corner of his mouth and he nodded.

"Is it too late to ask you to stay in a hotel with me while we wait for this all to end?" He stared into her glistening eyes and she hummed softly, shaking her head slowly.

She peppered tiny kisses down his cheeks, on his lips, down his jaw, and she sighed, taking in a soft breath. "If that's what you want, then we can do that." Their foreheads now rested against each other's, their breath mingling.

He pulled back with a very tiny nod and kissed her nose. "Please." He sucked in a breath and stroked his fingers through her dark hair, pushing it behind her ear. "I don't want to let you out of my sight." He frowned suddenly and his head fell to her chest.

She reached down and massaged his back soothingly. "I know." She froze immediately as the cellphone lying on his desk began to ring. He scrabbled forward to pick it up, study ing it carefully. "It's him, isn't it?" She stood up straight as he answered the call with a hiss.

"Foyet."

He heard him chuckle, imagining him shaking his head, a grin on his face. "Oh, Aaron. Haley's a pretty one. However, she's not as gorgeous as your current whore. But we'll save her for another day."

The abhorrence in Hotch's voice made the tiny hairs stick up at the back of her neck. She made her way to the door and opened it quickly, calling down to the team. "It's Foyet!" They immediately got to work, fulfilling their duties that they had been assigned. Garcia was already tracking the GPS coordinates of the phone.

"Aaron, Aaron, Aaron. How does it feel to lose somebody you love?"

He swallowed thickly and glanced back at Emily, her back turned to him. "I haven't.." He thought of Haley and Jack, tucked away safely with multiple agents. Even Hotch didn't know where they were keeping them.

"Oh, but you will." He cackled, making Aaron shiver. "You will." Aaron swallowed hard and shut his eyes as the line clicked off before he had another chance to say anything else.

He slammed the phone down on the desk, causing Emily to turn her head, dark worried eyes facing him. "What?" He shook his head and exhaled through his nose.

"I want you to go back to your apartment, pack everything you can as fast as you can. And then find a hotel. Emily, please." He saw the look she shot him, but to his relief, she didn't argue. "There will be guards with you. As fast as you can, Emily. Twenty minutes. Then call me as soon as you're in a hotel. And stay there." She nodded and turned her back to him, striding out of the office and down the catwalk. She gathered her belongings and grabbed her keys from off her desk.

Quizzical looks and eyebrows were raised at her from the team but nobody vocalized their thoughts. She left without another word and made her way to the elevators, stepping inside them and riding down to the parking garage. She waited in silence, holding her breath as she the metal shaft descended.

Emily blinked a few times when the doors slid open. Her eyes needed to adjust to the sudden sunlight.

It took her a moment to realize that it wasn't sunlight at all. It had been raining when she left for the BAU this morning, and that was just a few hours ago. Besides, they were in a parking garage. She shielded her eyes from the bright lights, finding just enough time to process the source of it was, before her vision left her. Her head ached and she felt herself succumbing to the darkness.

"Jack, honey, please go over there for a moment."

Emily took a moment to place the voice as she blinked awake, her head pounding dangerously. She moaned softly, trying to regain her vision. So far, everything was still black.

Black. She had heard a screech before she lost consciousness. Emily's vision refocused and she quickly looked around at her surroundings, Haley coming into view. The brunette immediately sprung awake, "Haley." She caught sight of little Jack playing in the corner with trains. Her eyes settled back on Haley and she shuddered. "What-Where are we?"

Haley swallowed hard, her head shaking. "We're at our old house. There's a man here and he-he brought you here." She shook her head once more and shrugged, a soft sob rocking through her body. "I don't know, I don't know what's happening." She looked Emily over with watery eyes. The look Emily shared with her told all. "That's George Foyet. Isn't it?" It was more of a statement than a question.

Emily simply nodded, her own eyes beginning to sting. Partly from the pain in her head, and partly because she and Haley were both-

She couldn't even think it. No. She was an FBI agent. Hotch would notice if she never called. He would know something was wrong. Foyet would call him and all three of them would be saved. She eyed the clock on the wall and shook her head, cursing under her breath. She had only been out for about two hours. She glanced back to Haley and mustered up as much courage as possible, trying to remain calm. "Where is he now?"

A different voice answered her. She turned her head, the pain only increasing and she cringed at the sharp ache. "Right here, darlings." George Foyet stood in the door way, an evil grin snaking across his mouth as his eyes fixed on the dark brunette. "Emily, my, my, I'm so glad you could join us." He stared at her with a sharp gaze.

He crossed the room in a matter of two seconds and knelt down beside her, clenching her jaw in between his thumb and fingers. "I can see why Aaron likes you so much." He purred, his free hand stroking the side of her cheek.

Emily pulled from his grip and looked over at Haley, mouthing for her to run.

Foyet chuckled and released her with a sharp toss of her head. "Oh, Emily darling, she can't. You see?" He pointed at the binds around Haley's wrists. Emily glanced down at her own hands, noticing that her wrists matched the older woman's. "Now," He grinned down at Haley and rested his face in the back of her hair. "Why don't you give our favorite agent a call, hm?" He inhaled her hair and sighed, his breath dispersing onto her neck. He held the phone out to her and untied her.

Haley shivered but took the phone from him. Emily watched as she dialed the all too familiar number. Foyet didn't move from the back of Haley's hair. "Put it on speaker," he purred in her ear.

Trying to work out of her own binds, Emily rubbed her wrists raw. Noticing her struggles, Foyet whipped the phone from Haley's hands and smacked Emily in the temple with it. For the second time in two hours, she felt darkness overtake her and pull her under. He handed the phone back to Haley and shook his head, "That is what struggling will get you." He grinned into the woman's hair and nodded, glancing at Jack from his peripheral vision. "Now, call Aaron."

**A/N: So I could have either have one big, long chapter, or posted two separate smaller ones… After doing some thinking and rearranging, I decided to do two smaller ones just because it would have been so much happening in one chapter and also I'd like to make this fic last a bit longer. The next chapter is mostly written already, so it just depends on time management.**

**Please remember to leave a review, thank you!**

**-Emily**


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: As Always, a huge thank you to those who review. This story wouldn't be here without all of you. **_

_**WARNING: This chapter may be triggersome, so I advise you not to read unless you're absolutely sure**__**.**_

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter Eight**

Trying to work out of her own binds, Emily rubbed her wrists raw. Noticing her struggles, Foyet whipped the phone from Haley's hands and smacked Emily in the temple with it. For the second time in less than two hours, she felt the darkness pull her under. He handed the phone back to Haley and shook his head, "That is what struggling will get you." He grinned into the woman's hair and nodded, glancing at Jack from his peripheral vision. "Now, call Aaron."

On the second ring, Aaron picked up.

"Aaron, you're okay?"

"He can hear us, right?"

Haley nodded and stood up as George moved closer to Jack, playing with his toys with him. "Yes." Her voice was nearly breaking as she looked at Emily, curled up in a heap. She let out a shaky breath and swallowed hard.

"Haley, show him no weakness, no fear."

"I know. Sam told me all about him." She heard a soft moan from Emily, and she chewed her lower lip. "Emily's here too."

Aaron felt his heart slam into his chest. Emily. He drove faster, pressing down on the accelerator. "Where is she?"

Haley shook her head and watched as Jack's head peeked up at her. "She's here, Aaron. She…she's okay."

Aaron nodded and swallowed hard, "Tell Jack I need him working the case." Haley glanced down at her son as he came running over to her, taking the phone from her hands. George watched on in amusement, eyeing Emily as she opened her eyes with a moan.

"Ah, Emily." He chuckled as she groaned, her hand now coming up to her head.

She pulled her hand away and spotted blood, already matted in her hair. Her head spun and voices sounded distorted as she tried to concentrate and focus on her vision. She turned slowly and saw Haley, the phone held upside down in Jack's tiny hands as he stood beside his mother.

"Is George a bad guy?" The small child looked over at George and listened to his father.

"Yes. Jack, I need you to work this case for me. You understand me?" Aaron's eyes filled with tears as he heard the switch of the phone and then his son hugging his ex-wife. When silence greeted him, he continued, "Is he gone?" He heard sobs from the other line followed by a yes. He sucked in a breath and nodded, "Emily's right there too?"

"Yes." It was Emily's voice this time. Her cloudiness in her vision had cleared and now she could at least process his words. Foyet's eyes traveled from Haley to Emily, and he chuckled.

"I have them both, Aaron." He heard a grunt come from Emily as Foyet pulled her close into his chest, threading his fingers through her raven hair. "Both gorgeous women, Aaron. Especially Emily." His hand drifted over her abdomen and slid up, over her chest. There, he cupped her breast. His other hand followed suit and she gave a sharp gasp as he pressed his chest to her backside. "I'll have some fun with her, I think." He hummed into her shoulder blade and gave her breasts a slight squeeze, causing Emily to emit a sharp whimper.

"Don't you touch either one of them!" Aaron growled, listening to Emily's whimpers. He grit his jaw and pressed even harder on the accelerator, driving at such illegal speeds. The sirens were flicked on and he clenched the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning a very sickly white. "Leave them alone." His lip curled upwards.

Foyet only laughed as he rocked Emily from side to side in his hold, hands still cupping both breasts. "Oh, Aaron." One hand slid down her shirt and lifted the fabric, sliding his hand underneath it and brushing along her soft skin, while the other hand now made its way down to the hem of her jeans, hooking on the denim and massaging her stomach. Emily tried to pull from his grasp but he was much stronger than her and it only resulted in the hand on her stomach reaching lower and lower. Within seconds, he had the zip on her pants down and he was tugging them down.

"I'll tell you what, Aaron. We'll make another deal because I'm feeling generous." He grinned widely, sending shivers down Emily's spine. "One of them will die today. You get to pick which one."

Emily swallowed hard and clenched her jaw tightly, her teeth hurting. He'd pick Haley, obviously. Haley was the mother of his child, the woman he had been married to for over ten years; his high school sweetheart. How could Emily ever compete with that?

Haley eyed Foyet dangerously and shook her head, her eyes narrowing at him as he touched Emily. "Leave her alone." She felt her stomach roll. "Please leave her alone, stop!"

Foyet's dark eyes connected with Haley's as stroked Emily's long torso, his fingers grazing over the expanse of skin. "Really, Haley? You would stand up for your husband's whore?"

"Ex-husband, and she is not his whore." She spat, coming close to him now. In response, Foyet cackled and buried his face in Emily's hair, his hand cupping her breast.

Haley sobbed quietly as she watched and listened to Emily's whimpers and moans in horror, Hotch still on the phone. "Please hurry, Aaron."

Emily's chest clenched and Foyet leaned her back into him, pulling her tighter to his chest. He pressed his face into her shoulder and grinned, his hand dipping lower into her pants as he whispered into her ear for only her to hear. "This is what I did to Aaron." Emily's dark eyes widened at the revelation and he chuckled, pulling back slightly from her.

"No." Her heart slammed against her ribcage and she felt nauseated at the thought of Foyet sexually assaulting Aaron.

"Oh, yes. He didn't tell you?" He hissed into her ear and pressed his fingers against her panties lifting them. "Is this how he makes you feel, Emily?" He gave her left breast a squeeze and grinned, "Does he ever touch you like this?" She arched away from his touch, her eyes flickering around the room. She spotted her glock on the table, across the room. She saw Haley's eyes follow hers, knowing that she had caught sight of it as well.

If only she could just…

Foyet turned her away as she dared to make a move. She meant to twist inwards and stomp on his foot, but since he spun her around, she missed, and instead, her knee came up and she instepped him. As he tried to recover, Emily took the advantage over him and elbowed him straight in the jaw. She heard him grunt, knocking him off balance. She quickly pulled her pants back over her hips, his fingers still ghosting on her skin. Haley dropped the phone and charged for the table and grabbed Emily's glock, holding it right at Foyet.

He laughed viciously. "You can't shoot me."

He shook his head and Emily glared from behind him, able to get her spare weapon from tucked down in her boot. She smirked. "But I can." Caught in between Emily and Haley, Foyet bolted. He charged forward at an un-expecting Haley, and pushed her in front of him as a shield. He ripped the gun from her hands and held it to her head as Emily tried to process her mistake. She should have taken the shot!

"You know, Emily, I can see why Aaron loves you so much." He snickered and pressed the gun deeper into Haley's temple.

"He doesn't."

"Liar!"

Emily shook her head, no intention to back down any time soon. "He doesn't. It was an act." She swallowed, licking her lips. "My idea. We pretended to be a couple in case this happened. We were ready for you."

Aaron, just pulling up to the driveway, had no idea who was being held in Foyet's arms. He gripped the phone tightly in his palm and then switched it out for his own glock, preparing to kick the door down. He heard screaming and whimpers coming from inside and then…

A gunshot. There was only one before the whole property seemed to explode with them.

Inside the house Foyet had pulled the trigger, just as Emily had pulled hers. Her shot had fired and hit his arm, making him lose his grip on Haley. She slid to the ground, clutching her side as Emily emptied her clip, firing shot after shot at Foyet.

Aaron slammed his shoulder into the door and it broke off its hinges. The stench of blood and sweat met his nostrils as he ran in, gun poised at the ready. "Haley!"

She was the first one he saw, Emily and Foyet had taken to the stairs around the bend in the wall. Shots rang out through the hallway and JJ rushed to Haley's side, calling paramedics over. She motioned for Aaron to go help Emily as she stayed with Haley. He hesitated for a moment, as if deciding which woman he should stick by. JJ growled at him as she put pressure on the bullet wound at JJ's side. "Aaron, just go!"

The two heard a female grunt and Aaron suddenly bounced back to reality, remembering Emily. He swung around the corner, taking in the situation. Emily had the higher ground and was now shooting down at Foyet, throwing picture frames from the walls whenever she got the chance, down at him. Foyet, however, was managing to hold his ground. He was quick to dodge, and he also climbed two stairs higher with each second he could risk. He was right behind Emily and Hotch feared for the worst.

"Prentiss!" He fired off a shot, hitting Foyet square in the back. He grunted and sputtered, losing his footing. "Emily, go!" Hotch called to the woman and she shot off, running up the rest of the stairs, throwing the rest of the frames down at Foyet in the process. Aaron had him now.

"I told you not to fucking touch her!"

Foyet grinned, the bullet having slowed him down, but not killing him or hurting him. He had been prepared for this. He had been waiting. He spit at him and lunged forward, knocking into Hotch and taking him with him the rest of the way down. They smashed into a table; Aaron's back taking the impact of it all. He grunted in pain and Emily's face appeared at the top of the stairs again. "Emily, you stay there." She watched the fight play out, both men throwing punches at the other while they kicked and scratched and rolled through the hallway.

She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch him beat up another man, even if he was an UNSUB. It was much too disturbing.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, only Hotch's grunts could be heard. Morgan pulled him back from the now dead, and very bloodied, man.

"Hotch!" He held him tight and Emily raced down the stairs, stepping over the broken glass and throwing herself into the mess of arms. She took over for Derek and held Aaron close, letting him sob into her chest.

"He's dead, Aaron. He's gone." He soaked her shirt with tears, making her eyes fill and sting with tears of her own. "He's gone, Aaron." She slowly lost her composure and cried into his shoulder as he sobbed into her shirt. She rocked him, losing track of how long they sat like that.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please stay tuned for the next chapter!**

**ALSO: Please remember to leave a review, thank you!**

**-Emily**


End file.
